Monday, January 31, 2011

Is Jimmer Fredette the Next Stephen Curry or JJ Redick?

Neither, but he often draws comparisons to both. Analysts liken Fredette to Redick mainly because he's white and can shoot, and to Curry because he's undersized but can score. They differ in that Redick, although still slightly undersized at the 2, has more of an NBA shooting guard's body, and Curry--and this sounds racist, but it is true--possesses greater athleticism that allows him to create his own shot.

That being said, DBSF is as big a Jimmer Fredette fan as one can be of a player from the Mountain West Conference. His range is of Russian-Ballistic caliber, and he's a proven winner in the NCAA tourney and now on a top ten team (and number 2 in the RPI). But, there's something Fredette can take from Curry and Redick to succeed in the NBA.

While Curry is putting up impressive offensive statistics, his size--especially when playing alongside Monta Ellis--causes problems. (If you've never watched a Golden State basketball game, when they're on defense its a mix of an NBA All Star game and a pre-game shoot around. Luke Ridnour looks like Wilt Chamberlain.)

If Fredette wants to earn substantial time in the NBA he's going to have to figure out how to defend the likes of a Rondo, Westbrook . . . or Curry. Unlike the college game, the thing with the NBA is that if a guys is 6'3" or less, he's a phenomenal athlete--like could return punts for the Bengals even if he hadn't played football since Pop Warner. An undersized two-guard can't hope to match-up with Eddie House every night for 40 minutes and try to contain him on the perimeter.

Further, like Redick, Fredette will need to find a way to make his game fit the NBA. It took Redick about 4 seasons, but he is now an important contributor in an 8-man rotation on a Eastern Conference playoff team. Redick continues to rely on his jump shot and still cannot consistently create his own shot, but his defense has improved to the point where he could be a legitimate starting 2 guard on probably over half the teams in the NBA.

Of course, wanting to become a better defender and actually becoming a quality NBA defender are two different things, and defense--more so than offense--demands superior athleticism. While most analysts will likely continue to compare Fredette to white shooting guards and undersized-guards who've had to make the transition to the point, DBSF thinks if he can adapt his game to the NBA, Fredette could be anywhere from a Christ Whitney up to a Terry Porter. (And, if you think Whitney is an insult to such a prolific scorer, like Fredette, bear in mind that few players, especially 6'0" guards, make it 11 years in the NBA.)

Friday, January 28, 2011

But do they Understand the Purpose of Steroids?

The AP is reporting that Memphis Grizzlies guard OJ Mayo will be suspended 10 games for testing positive for DHEA, a steroid that--to Mayo's defense--is common in over the counter supplements. This is the same substance that landed then Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis the same suspension last season.

Mayo and Lewis's capricious approach to defense and their mutual deference to 25 foot jump shots make these suspensions inconsequential, at least from a win-loss perspective. But, something seems suspicious to DBSF about these two players failing tests for steroids that are intended to increase strength and muscle bulk--neither player bangs, much less spends time in the paint except to retrieve in-bound passes after the opposing team scores.

In fact--especially with respect to Lewis--these guys are like the antithesis of a Kendrick Perkins or Charles Oakley. Grant it he's a 6' 4" guard but in almost 40 minutes of play per game in his career, Mayo has averaged just over 3.5 rebounds, and about 0.2 blocks per game. Lewis, who has no excuse as a 6' 10" power forward, put up just over 4 rebounds per game and less than 0.5 blocks per game in his last two seasons with Orlando. (PS Both get to hoist anywhere from 5-6 threes per outing.)

Perhaps their use of DHEA is a sign that each player is in transition to Ben Wallaceville or, and perhaps more likely, Mayo and Lewis are preparing in the event that the NBA moves the three-point line back another 10 feet.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Jay Cutler's Knee and the Nadir of NFL Content

The biggest news in the last two days in the NFL has been that a Cardinal, a Jaguar, and a few retired players Tweeted that they questioned Jay Cutler's toughness for leaving the NFC Championship game after spraining his MCL. The media blitz continued today with news that Cutler and his disproportionately hotter GF, Kristin Cavallari, walked up some stairs when going out to dinner the night of the loss.

The news should be that the above is news. Sportscenter ran a ticker for much of the day on players' Tweets and updates on the status of the injury. But, guess what? Cutler's not playing football again until September. Whether or not he was really hurt is inconsequential. After missing WRs for three-and-a-half quarters he called it quits and the Packers won.



Regardless, all of the attention on Cutler has nothing to do with Cutler or toughness. It has to do with the fact that ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, etc. does not have two weeks of content on one football game, and mid-season hockey and NBA only matter to serious hockey and NBA fans. In reality, the sports media can dedicate at most 4 or 5 days to analyzing teams in preparation for a game.

After that Mark Schlereth's and Trent Dilfer's emphasis on the offensive line's ability to pick up rushers, and the defense's ability to tackle/ force turnovers becomes yule log DVD redundant. That's why ESPN et al normally feed 1-2 days of human interest stories before and after the 4-5 days of analysis. These stories focus primarily on the positive effect a deceased family member or high school football coach had on a player. In the end, as long as the story can tenuously be tied to overcoming adversity, it gets airtime.

So here in lies the problem. It's 14 days between games but human interest and automaton analysis can only take up 10, 11 days tops. It's too early to run Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, Jr. draft analysis at full speed because that's what fills the February to April void. Until then we will be reminded why individual's with mole-like foresight should have time-delay Twitter feeds, and what the Hill's cast does when 'Teenage Mom 2' and 'True Life: I Used to be Fat' take up all of the MTV time slots.

Fashion Don't (aka Broke-Ass Transformer)

by: the Admiral

First, check out this video.




On a normal day, who wouldn't want to be Aaron Rodgers; he is a multimillionaire with tons of adoring fans and is getting ready to play in the Superbowl.



With that being said, I caught the post game interview that you just saw and have one thing to say. T-shirt OVER shoulder pads......EMBARRASSING!!!

Get it together Aaron.

Monday, January 24, 2011

T.G.I.F Exploitation Mini-Rant

by: the Admiral

Before Jeff Goldblum, a.k.a. The Fly, took over the duties of eccentric supercop on Law and Order: Criminal Intent, the resident misunderstood genius of Manhattan’s Major Case Squad was played by this guy.

In between a recent afternoon’s viewing of Revenge of the Nerds 3: The Next Generation (1.5 meatballs) and the episode of Beverly Hills 90210 where Steve Sanders gets the legacy key (3.5 meatballs), I caught back to back D’Onofrio episodes of the Law & Order:CI.

The interesting thing was that the killers in these back to back episodes were this guy…..

and this guy…….

otherwise known as these guys…………

That’s right, fun loving Cousin Larry (Mark Linn-Baker) & Dance of Joy pioneer Balky Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot), whose morally uplifting and good natured antics provided late 80s T.G.I.F. joy, were now being exploited as a morally reprehensible doctor who killed his wife with a neurotoxin and an antisocial O.C.D. insurance actuator who killed 9 homeless people.

I have to say that this is not cool with me. Alex P. Keaton was a childhood hero of mine and I was already a little uncomfortable when a few seasons ago Criminal Intent disgraced my memories of his 80s TV dad when they portrayed Michael Gross (aka Steven Keaton) as Viagra and Esctasy addicted prostitute serial killer.

Use Lindsay Lohan and Justin Beiber for your sick twisted purposes, but leave our T.G.I.F heroes alone. If we don’t draw the line somewhere all of our late 80s and early 90s TGIF stars will be lost to the land of Law & Order debauchery. I for one am not ready for Eddie Winslow and Topenga to be exploited as some sick twisted modern day Bonnie and Clyde.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Jake Locker: Recipient of Football Life Lottery Powerball Award

As evidence of the arduous work involved in sports blogging, DBSF googled "NFL Mock Draft" to research University of Washington QB Jake Locker. After closing out a Groupon page on Banana Republic outerwear, DBSF selected the first five sites that came up. All mock drafts projected Locker going between 8 and 12 overall. (Note: Zero of the five were legit as evidenced by all having the banner ads encouraging me--presumably--to earn a college degree in 6 weeks from the comfort of my personal computing space.)

Now, DBSF never watched Locker play in college nor did he catch any Pac-10 games. But, even without any visual evidence of Locker's abilities, DBSF is shocked to learn that he's projected so high. His four-year college career consists of a 14-15 TD-pic season followed by 1-0, 21-11, and 17-9. He's never completed over 58% of his passes in a season, and in his three biggest games this year he put up Ryan Leafian numbers.

He torched Nebraska for 71 yards on 4-20 passing (Yes 4-20, that's bad for hitting in baseball; basically, that means that he completed half of his check-offs to unguarded running backs standing 5 yards away.) Against Stanford he completed 50% of his 14 passes to go with 2 interceptions. And, finally against Nebraska again in the legendary Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl (the name really conjures thoughts of Bear Bryant) Locker ran up 56 yards passing on a 5 for 16 affair.



So the question then is--how in the heck is Locker so highly rated with numbers that scream high school offensive coordinator? The answer? Todd McShay will likely say "intangibles", which is like saying you find a good enough looking, tall, strong white kid who can throw a ball moderately hard, he's worth wasting 3-years and $20 million on. (Exhibit A: JP Lossman. Exhibit B: Any Notre Dame QB of the 21st century).

DBSF believes Locker unearned this distinction in a much more esoteric, and fortuitous manner--he won the Football Life Lottery Powerball. Rather than receive whatever $256 million is after taxes, Locker's winnings consist of normally rational individuals inexplicably irrationally believing that he is the antithesis to what he actually is.

You see, there doesn't exist one piece of data (er, datum) that suggests that Locker should be in his current position. Well, if nothing else DBSF hopes Locker can use his winnings, like any other Powerball winner, to procure for himself the ultimate in American power boating.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Blake Griffin in Perspective

After beating the Lakers (who had won 7 straight) yesterday, Blake Griffin exploded for 47 point, 14 rebound in a win over the Pacers today. Those are Wilt numbers and as such DBSF finds it appropriate to compare Blake's rookie numbers against some other great bigs. (Note: Wilt is excluded from this list because as a rookie he dropped a meager 38 points and 27 rebounds per game--in elementary statistics, the definition of an event that "positively skews" the data.)

Name: Points per game/ RBs per game/ Blocks per game/ FG%
Blake: 22 ppg/ 12.7 rbg/ 0.6 bpg/ 51.5%
Bill Walton: 12.8 ppg/ 12.6 rbg/2.7bpg/ 51.3%
The Admiral: 24.3 ppg/ 12.0 rpg/ 3.9 bpg/ 53.1%
Duncan: 21.1 ppg/ 11.9 rbg/ 2.5 bpg/ 54.9%
Shaq: 23.4 ppg/ 13.9 rbg/ 3.5 bpg/ 56.2%
Moses Malone (ABA): 18.8 ppg/ 14.6 rbg/ 1.5 bpg/ 57.1%
Hakeem the Dream: 20.6 ppg/ 11.9 rbg/ 2.7 bpg/ 53.8%
Barkley: 14.0 ppg/ 8.6 rbg/ 1.0 bpg/ 54.5%



Now this list should be qualified as Blake is only 21 (turns 22 in March). Duncan was 23 as a rookie and the Admiral was 24. However, Shaq, Moses Malone, and Barkley were all younger than Griffin in their rookie year. Below are their numbers in the season they turned 22.

At 22
Shaq: 29.4 ppg/ 13.2 rbg/ 2.9 bpg/ 59.9%
Moses Malone (NBA): 19.4 ppg/ 15.0 rbg/ 1.3 bpg/ 49.9%
Barkley: 20.0 ppg/ 12.8 rbg/ 1.6 bpg/ 57.2%

It should also be acknowledged that this group--consisting primarily of conventional centers, save Barkley--lack Griffin's passing and play-making skills, and his ability to run the 3. Regardless, thus far into his young career--statistically, at least--Griffin falls in the company of Duncan, Hakeem the Dream, and Chuck Barkley. Perhaps no better sign that he will be a Laker/ Celtic/ Knick/ trending big-market team in 2015.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Excerpts from Byron Scott's Play Board (circa Jan. 11, 2011 8:45pm ~ 9:30pm PST)

On Tuesday night the LA Lakers edged a LeBronless Cleveland Cavaliers by 55 points. The Cavs monumentally futile performance resulted in 57 points, a sub-Ichiro Suzuki avg.-field goal % (.299), a most Baron Davis 1-14 from downtown, a Sebastian Telfair-caliber team assist to turnover ration of 0.6, 3 players who shot a combined 3-29, and 3 players with a plus-minus below 40 (Manny Harris put up an astounding -57 over 41 minutes . . . which begs the question: Why was Manny Harris in the game for 41 minutes?)

Ever-intrusive, DBSF gained access to some of Cav's Head Coach Byron Scott's notes and musings on the team play board. Interestingly, Scott had stopped using the board to create plays midway through the first quarter when the team was already down 15 and then began using the board to scribble self-deprecating laments and marginally suicidal haikus. Below are some excerpts:

8:08pm--12 points in 1st Q. Not bad. Last night's scrimmage was 8-6 through 25 minutes.

8:12pm--Personnel-wise you've entered a dark place when losing Anderson Varejao has a cataclysmically negative effect on your offense.

8:27pm--I would trade the whole roster for Luke Walton; Sad thing is they'd also want draft picks.

8:39pm--Why isn't there a rule in basketball to kneel the ball and run out the clock like in football?

8:45pm--Is Steve Blake texting while bringing the ball up the court?

8:51pm--How does Andrew Bynum already have 5 blocks. He's only played on two defensive possessions.

8:52pm--How do you spell my PGs name? Two N's or one? Manny? Sounds Dominican. Note to self--there in lies a problem. Next year's team--more Americans, Europeans and South Americans. Fewer Dominicans; great guys, not great ball players.

8:59pm--Email Stern about slaughter rule. If we have to go to Boston I don't want to have to get stuck in post-game traffic and would like to catch the 9:08 out of Logan. The 10:08 is full of drunks and software salesmen.

9:00pm--Why don't we have a team plane? I heard LeBron and DWade take their own planes to games . . . not that I need to sit next to Samardo Samuels and listen to him go on about the glory days at Louisville for 2.5 hours. I played for the Lakers in the '80's. I was partying with Paula Abdul and her crew before he was born. I'm suuuure that time at the frat party with those two sorority sisters was waaaay crazy.

9:09pm--I swear to goodness if one more of our players calls a timeout, I'm quitting mid-game.

9:15pm--Moe Williams' definition of a "good shot" and my definition are--astronomically speaking--considerably far apart.

9:31pm--Games over. Oh chriiiimney. I see that look in Artest's eyes. He's concerned about my mental health and he's going to want me to open up. I just want to get back to the Hilton before Room Service stops serving dinner and it's just fruit and cereal at $5 a pop.

Monday, January 10, 2011

What happens when Chris Kirkpatrick, Justin Guarini, and Adam Duritz have a child

A lot of people are talking about Robin Lopez. Back-up centers from Southwestern, post-housing market collapse, declining, Sunbelt states naturally receive a lot of attention. But, DBSF has a theory that might make Robin Lopez the most recognized and unique human in the history of existence--he is the child of three men.



DBSF knows what you're thinking: No uterus? How was he breast fed? And, most importantly, how come his twin brother, Brook, wasn't also the child of three men? The answer is DBSF doesn't know. But, sometimes images speak louder than words. DBSF believes that Robin (pictured above) is the offspring of:

*NSync counter-tenor Chris Kirkpatrick . . .



Counting Crows front man Adam Duritz . . .



And, DBSF spiritual leader/ American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini . . .



It's safe to say that DBSF can officially start dusting off that "Three Men and a Baby 2" script he threw to the back of the closet after Tom Selleck's agent issued that restraining order.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Why didn't you pick the fight with Hasheem Thabeet?

By now most sports' fans have heard that the NBA made it almost two weeks without it's second intra-team fight (both off the court!). Rumor has it that Memphis Grizzlies' guard Tony Allen "stole" fellow guard OJ Mayo over money Mayo owed Allen from a card game. Despite the fact that this fight happened aboard the team plane, this story is Justin Guarini-caliber non-news.

But, what stuck out to DBSF was that Mayo--who owed the money--was the aggressor. Now, both men are about 6'4" 210 lbs so fair fight, right? But, one (Mayo), looks like he goes on tattoo trips with Chris Brown and like some of the dudes from B2K, and the other (Allen) looks like the kind of dude the guards in prison would be scared to mess with.


So, DBSF's question then is with the likes of a Spaniard, like Marc Gasol, on the team who probably takes multiple siestas just to cope with the flight from Cleveland to Milwaukee, why would OJ go after arguably the toughest guy in the NBA? If nothing else you mean to tell DBSF that Mayo couldn't pick on the tragically lanky Hasheem Thabeet?

Monday, January 3, 2011

Brett Favre = Kerry Collins w/ No Text Game

Apparently, Brett Favre's text game can get more suspect. You know you're text game is dirt when you're an NFL icon, making $20 million a year, but you're still getting sued by one of the 21 year old massage therapists who will crush ANY player because let's be honest you didn't get that job because you dropped Physical Therapy 001 one week into the semester at Clemson (Grant it, it was due to insufficient parking by the Kinesiology building. But, it was pass/ fail and 1.0 credit and most those dudes from Delt Sig in PT 001 totally toked before class so the bar was low, even by Clemson's standards.)

If DBSF seems cross with Favre, it's because he is. Over the last three months DBSF missed countless NBA highlights on the 12pm Sportscenter because of the daily Brett Favre news conference that inexplicably mandated full attention from the sports media. (If a football fan from another planet came for just one day and watched just one 12pm Sportscenter, they'd ask why we didn't give the same treatment to Derek Anderson.)

DBSF also can't help but feel that Favre's legacy is considerably over-hyped. If he got pulled after every first or second stupid interception, like most other QBs do, he would be Kerry Collins. Outside a couple spectacular seasons in the mid and late 1990's Favre's numbers look very Eli Manning/ Carson Palmeresque. If Favre doesn't have Desmond Howard in Superbowl XXXI and had he not peaked at a low point for NFL QBs (twilight for Young/ Marino/ Elway, etc and pre-Manning/ Brady) DBSF would have caught at least 4 or 5 more Timberwolves/ Warriors' replays this November-December. Just saying.